Every year, as winter fades, something shifts.
Windows crack open. Closets are emptied. Dust is confronted. There’s an almost instinctive pull toward scrubbing, sorting, and starting over.
We call it “spring cleaning.”
But where did that tradition come from? And why does it feel so deeply ingrained?
The Practical Origins
Long before central heating and vacuum cleaners, winter left homes coated in residue.
Fireplaces burned wood and coal. Oil lamps left soot. Windows stayed shut for months to preserve warmth. By the time winter ended, homes were heavy with smoke, ash, and trapped air.
Spring was the first opportunity to open every window, drag rugs outside, wash walls, and let fresh air circulate.
It wasn’t aesthetic.
It was necessary.
The phrase “spring cleaning” appears in English records as early as the 19th century, but the practice is much older. In colder climates, especially, deep cleaning was simply impossible until temperatures allowed doors and windows to stay open for hours at a time.
Spring meant airflow.
Airflow meant cleaning.
Cleaning meant survival and comfort.
Cultural & Religious Traditions
The instinct to cleanse in spring predates modern Europe entirely.
- During Nowruz, the Persian New Year, families practice khaneh tekani, literally “shaking the house,” a thorough cleaning meant to prepare for renewal.
- In Jewish tradition, homes are carefully cleaned before Passover to remove leavened products, symbolizing purification and remembrance.
- Many Lunar New Year traditions include sweeping away bad luck and clearing out old energy.
Across cultures, spring has long symbolized rebirth. Cleaning isn’t just about dust; it’s about intention.
Why We Still Feel It
Even in homes with air filters and climate control, many people still feel the urge to reset when winter lifts.
There’s science behind that.
Winter is darker. We spend more time indoors. Clutter accumulates quietly when days are short and energy is low. When light increases in spring, we literally see more dust, disorder, and forgotten corners.
Light exposes.
But it also energizes.
Longer daylight hours influence mood and activity levels. That surge of motivation often translates into action: reorganizing closets, donating old clothes, and rearranging rooms.
Spring cleaning becomes less about soot and more about psychology.
It’s a way to:
- regain control
- symbolically shed stagnation
- prepare for a new season
It’s a reset button we press with mops and donation bags.
It’s Not About Perfection
It’s worth saying: spring cleaning doesn’t have to be dramatic or exhausting to count.
Sometimes it’s:
- washing one window
- clearing one drawer
- opening one door
The tradition isn’t about achieving immaculate living. It’s about participating in renewal.
For centuries, humans have marked spring as a turning point, a chance to breathe differently, live differently, and let in what winter kept out.
Spring cleaning is simply the domestic expression of that instinct.
We clean because the light returns.
And something in us wants to return with it.
